PHUKETWAN recognises the importance of Asean with the Economic Community approaching and marks what's happening around the region with a new column, Asean Today.



cambodiadaily.com Police in Sihanoukville are searching for a Russian man suspected of murdering another Russian, Denis Goncharov, 28, on Saturday night by stabbing him 30 times in the back before slitting his throat, police said.
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/police-seek-russian-for-fatal-stabbing-in-sville-88989/

voanews.com Cambodia is strengthening its military ties with China, and analysts say it is likely to continue doing so for the forseeable future. Cambodian Defense Minister Tea Banh made a five-day trip to China last week, meeting with high-ranking military officials and receiving pledges of assistance from the Chinese military.



afp The Philippines is planning a 25 percent hike in its defence budget next year, mainly to bolster its claims in the disputed South China Sea, officials said. The proposed 2016 national budget, which President Benigno Aquino is to present to parliament for approval on Monday, would reserve a record 25 billion pesos (US $552 million) for defense spending.

news.com.au In tiny houses a stone's throw from the red light district in one of the Philippines' most heavily-populated regions, young boys and girls are growing up without their Australian fathers. The children, born to young prostitutes, will never know their dads. They stopped through like thousands of other Australian men do, looking for cheap sex with young Asian women.
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/australian-sex-tourists-taking-advantage-of-young-women-in-the-philippines/story-fnet0gt3-1227451022673



straitstimes.com The Edge publisher and group CEO Ho Kay Tat has had his statement recorded by the police over the publication's possession of documents related to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Ho said all the documents have been handed to Bank Negara and the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) to assist in their investigations.

bloomberg A state investment company trumpeted as a cornerstone of Najib's economic policy after he became prime minister in April 2009, 1MDB is now mired in debts of at least $11 billion. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, a one-time political mentor who's turned on Najib, says ''vast amounts of money'' have ''disappeared'' from 1MDB funds.



aap The Laos soccer federation has pledged to investigate a local club over allegations teenage African players were trafficked to the communist country and forced to sign contracts without adequate pay. The inquiry follows a BBC report quoting teenage players alleging they were forced to live in miserable conditions at an academy run by Champasak United, a club based in the southern Laos city of Pakse.



AP A Myanmar court fined two editors of a weekly newspaper 1 million kyat ($809) each after finding them guilty of violating the country's media law by insulting the president.



news.sky.com Donald Trump received four student deferments and a medical deferment which ruled him out of military service during the Vietnam War, it has been reported. The Republican candidate has been under intense criticism from party rivals and veterans after he criticised Senator John McCain's war record.



cbc.ca A 20-year-old Canadian on vacation in Bali, is being hailed as a hero after saving four local people from drowning. Samuel Rousseau-Mascolo, who works at the aquatic park at Ski Bromont, was on Canggu beach, on Bali's south shore, last week when he saw the swimmers struggling in the water.



PTI Two of Singapore's township developers are likely to bid for projects to develop Andhra Pradesh's new capital city, Amaravati. Ascendas-Singbridge and Sembcorp Development have expressed interest in building the city project for which the master plan was submitted by Singapore to the Andhra Pradesh government.